No Time to Exercise? Try These Daily Movements
Exercise or physical activity is the need of the hour given our fast-paced lifestyle. We know that this is important for our wellness, but lack of time, due to personal responsibilities, work life, family management, overwhelms us with the amount we have to pack into our day, be it at home or at work, and we tend to forego it.
Simple everyday movements we practice at home or work can boost our energy, make us fit and flexible. Though this cannot be cited as an alternative to structured exercises, it can somewhat compensate.
Let us see some the movements that we can incorporate in our daily lives.
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- Take the stairs: The simplest movement is to use the stairs instead of the lift/elevator. Climbing stairs strengthens the legs, tones the glutes, improves cardiovascular health. It is a good way to burn the calories and prevent onset of chronic illnesses.
- Walk: The natural way is the best – walking. This helps burn calories, improves our mood, keeps us fit and maintains our weight. Walking while speaking on the mobile, walking for a couple of minutes after 45 minutes of inactivity (sitting), walking to the nearby stores, walking your pet, walking for some minutes after a meal, anything works.
- Stretch: Perform some simple stretching exercises if you are continuously glued to your chair for work. Prolonged bouts of sitting can lead to poor posture, back ache, neck and shoulder pain from slouching over the computer screen/mobile. Simple stretches like neck movements, stretching the hands above your head, stretching your legs in front, calf raises, simple twists or eye movements can be done.
- Move: Introduce movements while watching TV instead of being a sedentary couch potato. This is good for blood circulation, reducing stiffness, preventing feet from swelling, easing the back thereby improving mobility and flexibility to some extent.
- Backward walk: This is interesting ! You can alternately walk backwards and forwards for a few minutes while on the phone or walking to the washroom or walking from one room to another. This backward walk strengthens your legs, calves, hamstrings, and improves balance, and coordination.
- Using standing desk/walking pad: For those who are bored of sitting and working at a desk, using a standing desk for work is a good option. Alternately, a walking pad makes you walk while you work! Talk about killing two birds with one stone 😊 Walking while working is similar to a “low-intense impactful cardio” exercise.
- Social activity: The next time you feel like meeting friends for a coffee, take a hike instead. Incorporate movement related activities instead of sitting at a café. Take long walks, play basketball, cricket, volleyball or any other outdoor game, join a Zumba class together. A great way to bond and enjoy.
- Exercise snacks: Not to mistaken with normal snacks, exercise snacks are when you engage in some exercise for two-three minutes, at intervals, throughout the day. E.g. doing ten squats or ten jumping jacks or bending down to touch your feet or five burpees or any simple exercise you like, at regular intervals throughout the day. Studies carried out among patients of Type 2 Diabetes, show that short walks or resistance moves for every half hour of sitting improved their insulin and glucose levels.
- Activities: Activities like gardening, cooking , that we do daily and consistently make a significant impact – e.g. Kneeling down while plucking the weeds, stretching a bit more while opening the overhead kitchen cabinet. Over a period of time, these consistent activities will prove beneficial in the long run.
These are some simple activities that are beneficial for overall health. So, if you cannot take time to follow structured exercise regime or hit the gym, these simple activities can help. Add a balanced meal plan with these movements, and you are sorted. Avoid alcohol and tobacco. Maintain adequate hydration, sleep soundly, manage your stress. All these combined will make you feel good about yourself.
